Title: The relationship between candidate locus of control, coping and academic worry on first-attempt pass rate on the Board of Certification athletic trainer examination.

Study Design: Survey-based Design

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of coping, locus of control and academic worry on first attempt passing rates of the BOC examination. Study strategies for the BOC examination were also addressed in the study.

Background: Success on the Board of Certification (BOC) examination is necessary for persons who wish to obtain the Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) credential. First attempt pass rates have historically been an issue in the profession of athletic training (AT).

The research population consisted of newly graduated AT students, who reported they took the BOC examination from October to November, 2010.

Subjects were recruited through emails sent to CAATE Accredited Program Directors, which were forwarded to recent program graduates who accessed the survey instrument via the web link located within the forwarded email.

Outcomes: The survey instrument included three sections of items used to measure the elements of locus of control, method of coping and academic worry. Analysis was performed showing the relationships between the scores for Academic Worry, Locus of Control, Emotion Focus and Problem Focus and first attempt passing on the BOC examination.

Data from this study suggests that psychological factors such as high academic worry, emotion focused coping and an external locus of control have a lower first attempt pass rate on the examination. These data also suggest that students who pass on the first attempt use multiple strategies to prepare for the exam.

Professional preparation should address psychological issues such as academic worry, locus of control and coping skills. AT programs can help students better prepare psychologically for the BOC examination using multiple study strategies and exam rehearsal activities.

Objective: Describe the professional disciplines involved in instruction of the didactic coursework in CAATE accredited athletic training education programs. Describe the nature of interprofessional interaction across disciplines in the didactic coursework in CAATE accredited athletic training education programs. Compare the level of multidisciplinary instruction and the interprofessional nature of the coursework in CAATE accredited athletic training education programs by level of program, type of institution, type of academic unit and other demographic factors.

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) is defined as an educational process where professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care. (CAIPE 2002) It is even further defined as a vehicle to help students in the health professions gain a level of knowledge of the roles and contributions of theirs and other health professions to the goals of patient care. There is hope that this knowledge will produce a level of respect and collaboration between these students when they become health professionals. (Barr, et.al, 2006) IPE programs attempt to give the students the opportunities for and the skills in collaboration that these students need as enter their professions. (Ruebling, et.al, 2008)

Inclusion of athletic training (AT) in these programs could enhance both AT education and the IPE programs. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) standards requires that "There must be involvement of various medical and other health care personnel in formal classroom settings on a planned, annual, and continuing basis." (CAATE, 2008) In addition, the 2012 recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Executive Council on Education (ECE) indicate that Interprofessional Education (IE) should be a required component in professional and post-professional education programs in AT. (NATA, 2012). IPE may help in the socialization of our student as health professionals (Dodge, 2009) There is very little evidence regarding the nature of IPE in AT. (Hammick, et.al, 2007)

Outcomes: Subjects were recruited from a list of directors from accredited athletic training programs listed on the CAATE website (www.caate.net). 185 subjects completed an on-line survey using Qualtrix (www.qualitrics.com) about the IP content of their AT programs using the publicly available survey instrument on institutional readiness for IPE developed by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR). The survey was slightly modified to include general non-identifying demographic information such as: degree level of program, Carnegie classification, academic unit information, number of faculty, number of students and nature of involvement in IPE The survey was peer reviewed by ten colleagues from AT and IPE prior to being posted. Data from the completed surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The conclusions from research may allow educators to critically examine the interprofessional experience that their athletic training students receive in their program of study. In this presentation, the authors will present program data collected and its relationship to program participation in IPE. They will also present different models on how athletic training has been featured prominently in IPE initiatives. Recommendations will also be presented for future integration of IPE into professional programs in AT.